YSL Beauty kicks off Instagram relaunch with temporary blackout

Anyone checking out the YSL Beauty Instagram account at the end of the week might be a bit surprised to find that there’s no content available on it.

But the prestige beauty company hasn’t gone cold turkey on Instagram. After all, after 10 years on the social media front, the brand has 11.3 million followers on Instagram alone and is “an active member of the social media community”.

Instead it said it’s “exploring new ways to drive authority on social media by creating native content and disruptive ways to connect with the young while igniting virality and stunts”.

So, it’s only a “temporary blackout” with a new refreshed look launching on Saturday, 24 February.

The company added that “trends, time and social media are changing. New rules are being set. YSL Beauty wants to be a forerunner in the way it engages with its communities, notably the brand’s key touchpoints, including Gen Z”. 

It’s interesting that it chose a social media blackout (something more often associated with celebrities) and it said it’s “one of the first in the luxury beauty world” to do it.

Promising a “new era” as of this weekend, it said the first news on this front is a “new threads channel, an exclusive spot for the die-hard fans, with inside drops before anyone else”.

And Jordan Radi, Global Director of Consumer Engagement for the brand, added:  “This move is signatory of YSL Beauty entering a new chapter. By refreshing social channels, we not only create excitement, but we enter into the modern world of social media speaking to younger audiences in a captivating way. It’s a whole new level of intimacy and proximity with our audience; and it’s a promise we intend to keep.”